1. Western Sichuan travel photography, let’s go!
At 7:45 am on August 2, 2022, take a sleeper bus with friends from the outdoor group to Siguniang Mountain in Western Sichuan, Jiaju Tibetan Village, Daocheng Yading, Xindu Bridge, Hailuogou, Gongga Mountain, Kangding, Luding Bridge Wait for the famous scenic spots in western Sichuan to carry out travel photography activities.
This trip has twists and turns. It turned out that after careful estimation and analysis (mainly fear of heights), I planned to participate in the second batch of Sichuan-Tibet outdoor travel photography activities on July 15th from National Highway 317 into Tibet and National Highway 318 out of Tibet. Everything is ready, just wait for 9:00 p.m. on the 14th, the day of departure, and call the first batch of team leaders who entered Tibet to inquire about the situation of the high-level rebels, and tell him that I have a slight cough recently (already basically cured), will it affect it? He said that to be on the safe side, it is best to wait until the third batch is fully recovered. So temporarily canceled. Unexpectedly, the third batch of registrations did not reach the minimum number of travelers. At this time, the registration for West Sichuan was very popular. In desperation, they had to report to West Sichuan. Although I have a little regret, the trip to western Sichuan is also a planned itinerary that I have already planned, but it was delayed due to the epidemic, and it can be regarded as the end of my wish to travel to western Sichuan.
Looking forward to a safe and smooth trip! Consummation and return!
A sleeper bus to accompany us for nine days
Passing through the Hegu Bridge in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province
Passing Baoxia service area in Shiyan City, Hubei Province
Passing through the Ankang East Service Area in Shaanxi Province
Drive westward, arrive at the Yangbai service area in Bazhong City, Sichuan at around 5:30 p.m., get off the expressway at Enyang Ancient Town in Bazhong City around 6:30 p.m., and enter the ancient town after registration and nucleic acid testing.
Enyang Ancient Town is located in Enyang District, Bazhong City, an old revolutionary area in Northeast Sichuan, and borders Bazhong City in the east. The Enyang River flows by, hence the name Enyang Ancient Town. Enyang Ancient Town has a long history. The ancient town was developed from the original water pier. It was once prosperous in ancient times when water transportation was dominant, and it was once called "Little Shanghai". There are still 28 ancient streets and hundreds of Ming and Qing ancient buildings. In 1933, the Sichuan-Shanxi Revolutionary Base established a revolutionary regime here. The capital of Bazhong, Enyang county seat is located in today's Enyang town, adding a strong revolutionary color to the ancient town.
By coincidence, when I arrived in Enyang Ancient Town, I just caught up with the start of the "Legend of Enyang" melodrama, and I watched some of the performances at Qifeng Bridge.
Passing through the Yangbai Service Area in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province
Free nucleic acid testing at the Enyang service area in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province
The scene of the "Legend of Enyang" sitcom performed on Qifeng Bridge
At this time, when the lights are just on, the Enyang Ancient Town is embellished by the dots of light. Tourists and citizens who enjoy the coolness either walk through the small streets paved with bluestone slabs, or eat at small tables on the street. The bright moon hangs in the sapphire blue sky, making me feel like I have returned to my childhood...
Enyang Ancient Town Night View
Enyang Ancient Town not only developed into a prosperous town known as "Little Shanghai" because of the Enyang River, but also an important part of the Sichuan-Shanxi Revolutionary Base. There are many former sites of the management organs of the revolutionary regime on the street, which makes tourists and citizens feel anxious Generate a sense of mission to inherit the revolutionary tradition!
Enyang Ancient Town Night View
Walking in the quiet street, I was already hungry and thirsty. On the street of snacks, I sat down at a small street table in a sign shop of "Enyang Hot and Sour Rice Noodles" and ordered a bowl of Hot and Sour Rice Noodles. Hungry, and the second is to taste the local snacks. I feel that the hot and sour noodles are sour and fragrant, and the seasoning is delicious. I quickly finished a large bowl of noodles and praised the shop owner a few words before leaving.
Dinner: Enyang hot and sour noodles
snack street
Outdoor cooling area
Enyang Ancient Town at night
At 9:30 in the evening, I left this ancient town with a long history although it is not very famous, and embarked on the journey to continue westward. Although it is a night trip, it is very convenient to sleep and rest on the sleeper bus. At 2 o'clock in the morning on the 3rd, the sleeper bus arrived at the Qingyijiang service area in Sichuan Province. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Communications, in order to ensure driving safety, the driver's mandatory rest time is from 2 o'clock in the morning to 5 o'clock, so I stopped here to rest. Three hours, until five o'clock in the morning, drive to Mount Siguniang.
2. Majestic and beautiful Mount Siguniang
(No. 3) On the way to Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area at 5 am, although there are many winding roads, the road conditions are very good, the scenery is very beautiful, and the road is smooth. The Balang Mountain Tunnel (3800 meters above sea level) is nearly 10 kilometers long and arrives at the cat In the bridge of the nose service area, park your car and overlook the majestic appearance of Mount Siguniang. This place is 6 kilometers away from Changpinggou Scenic Area and Haizigou Scenic Area Visitor Center of Siguniang Mountain.
The first major scenic spot of this trip to western Sichuan is the Siguniang Mountain Scenic Spot located in Siguniangshan Town, Xiaojin County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. We arrived at the Maobi Bridge Highway Service Area 6 kilometers away from the Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area Visitor Center at around 9:30 am on August 3. This is an excellent viewing point for overlooking the main peak of Siguniang Mountain.
Siguniang Mountain and its surrounding scenery taken with different cameras from different angles and directions
After arriving at the Siguniang Mountain Tourist Center from the service area of Maobiliang Highway, I learned that there is still 8 kilometers away from the Shuangqiaogou Scenic Spot we are going to, so I rested here and had lunch and rushed to the Shuangqiaogou Scenic Spot. After arriving, I bought tickets (80 yuan, free for those over 60 years old) and Jingjiao bus ticket (70 yuan), but when entering the scenic spot, the scenic spot refused to enter because the test results in Enyang on the first day had not been uploaded to the Chuankangtong Health Code. The government hotline repeatedly contacted and communicated urgently, and was informed that the results would be sent to Chuankangtong after 2 p.m. After waiting anxiously, the group members entered the scenic spot in batches around 2:00 p.m., which was delayed for nearly two hours. Later, only the departure time of the scenic spot was changed from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., which delayed arriving at the hotel time.
Siguniang Mountain is a large scenic spot, the core scenic spots include Shuangqiaogou, Changpinggou and Haizigou. Among them, Shuangqiaogou scenic spot has the most convenient transportation and the most beautiful scenery. It is the favorite scenic spot of tourists. Generally, tourists who go to Siguniang Mountain go to this scenic spot. The other two scenic spots, Changpinggou and Guozigou, are the favorite places for hikers and donkey friends to explore.
We drove 35 kilometers in Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area to reach the farthest Redwood Forest Scenic Area, which is 3,870 meters above sea level and overlooks the snow-capped mountains in the distance, but when we went, it was midsummer and the snow-capped mountains here were at a lower altitude , the top of the mountain is basically not covered with ice and snow.
Plateau views from Sequoia Grove
Take the scenic bus down from the redwood forest scenic spot to reach the Potala Peak scenic spot. The top of a mountain here (about 5,000 meters above sea level) resembles the shape of the Potala Palace, so it is called the Potala Peak scenic spot. There is a wide Plateau meadow, where the meadow is located at an altitude of about 3,600 meters. There are traditional Tibetan Buddhist pagodas. Tourists are chasing and playing on the meadow under the blue sky and white clouds. .
Majestic Potala Peak
Panorama of Potala Peak
Look around, 360-degree panorama, towering mountains, magnificent and mighty
Pilgrimage to the pagoda brings good luck to tourists! safe and happy!
Let go of the plateau meadow
From the Potala Peak scenic spot, continue to take the Jingjiao bus down to the Sigu Nacuo scenic spot at an altitude of 3,588 meters. Here is the main scenic spot of Gaoshan Haizi. The crystal clear Sigu Nacuo is set against the blue sky and white clouds. Surrounded by emerald green mountains, it looks extraordinarily charming, as if
The beautiful Tibetan girl warmly welcomes the guests from afar. The wooden plank road on the shore leads to the boundless mountains, allowing people to visit the mysterious unknown world...
Different views of Sigu Nacuo attractions
It is not far from Sigu Nacuo to Longzhucuo. It is only 1.8 kilometers away. You can choose to take a scenic bus, or you can walk to see the scenery along the way. You can also go rafting in a rubber boat. We chose to walk. Feel very comfortable. Rafting in rubber boats is generally young people and children, two people in a rubber boat, it seems that within a few minutes, after turning a few turns, we will reach the end point of Longzhucuo.
kayak rafting
Longzhucuo is 3,490 meters above sea level, only 100 meters lower than Sigu Nacuo. It is also a mountain lake, but it is different from Sigu Nacuo in that there are many seabuckthorn trees and other trees in the lake, which is because of the erosion of mountain torrents. Sediment silting and blocking caused the river to divert and drowned the seabuckthorn trees that originally grew on land. Because a large amount of calcium was deposited on the roots of the seabuckthorn trees, they died and did not fall, forming a beautiful scenery.
Seabuckthorn trees in Longzhucuoli form a unique landscape
Take the Jingjiao bus from Longzhucuo and continue down to Ginseng Fruit Ping at an altitude of 3,300 meters. Ginseng Fruit Ping is located ten kilometers away from Shuangqiaogou. It is a 15-hectare large grass beach, which is charming and magnanimous. It got its name from the fact that under this meadow grows a rare ground stem plant of the Rosaceae family, whose scientific name is Potentilla velvet; Jiarong Tibetans call it ginseng fruit. On both sides of the road, there are hundreds of acres of large meadows. When the spring breeze blows, various alpine flowers cover the wide lawns, like a huge flower basket. Here is also a natural plateau pasture, where cattle and sheep walk, surrounded by beautiful seabuckthorn forests, with high mountains and clear waters, vast land and blue sky, just like a paradise.
In order to test my altitude adaptability, I tried a few small jumps here (3300 meters above sea level), and I felt very relaxed. It seems that although it is on a plateau, due to the different physique and adaptability of each person, the reaction to the plateau is also different.
Xanadu - Ginseng Fruit Ping
After visiting the scenic spot of Ginseng Fruit Ping, all the scenic spots in Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area are finished, and then take the Jingjiao bus out of the scenic spot, transfer to our sleeper bus and go to Xiaojin County for accommodation.
3. The Red County - Xiaojin County
After another two hours of traveling, we arrived at Xiaojin County at around 8:00 pm on the 3rd. Xiaojin County is a county under the jurisdiction of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. The Tibetan name Zanla means fierce god. It is named after Xiaojinchuan in the territory. Xiaojin County is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in the northwest of Sichuan Province, and in the south of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. It is adjacent to Wenchuan County in the east, Danba County in Ganzi Prefecture in the west, Baoxing County in Ya'an City in the south, and Malkang City in the north.
Xiaojin County (formerly known as Maogong), a small town in northwestern Sichuan located at the northern foot of Jiajin Mountain, is well-known for its connection with a shocking history of the Chinese Revolution. In June 1935, the First Red Army and the Fourth Front Army successfully joined forces here during the Long March, commonly known as "Maogong Meeting", and Xiaojin was recorded in the great history of the Chinese revolution. The county has a Red Army meeting square to commemorate this great moment.
Schematic diagram of the Red Army meeting square, monument and the route of the Red Army's Long March
Night view of Xiaojin County
Xiaojin County built among the mountains
4. The most beautiful rural ancient town in China - Danba Jiaju Tibetan Village
We set off from Xiaojin County at 7 am on the 4th (August) to Jiaju Tibetan Village in Danba County. The distance is not too far, only 5-60 kilometers, but the road conditions are relatively poor, and some road sections are still under repair or renovation , it took almost two hours to arrive.
Scenery along the way from Xiaojin County to Danba County
Jiaju Tibetan Village is located in Danba County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, about 8 kilometers away from the county seat. It is the most distinctive tourist attraction in Danba. In September 2016, it was officially approved as a national 4A-level tourist attraction.
"Jiaju" means hundreds of families in Tibetan. The Tibetan village climbs up from the Dajin River Valley to the foot of the Kapama peaks. The whole village follows the undulating mountains. On the hillside with a relative height difference of nearly a thousand meters, Tibetan-style buildings are scattered on Among the green trees. Some are dotted around, or densely packed, or on the cliffs of high mountains, or among the greenery of river dams, from time to time smoke curls up from kitchens and clouds, and together with aura-filled valleys, clear streams, and snow-capped peaks, it presents an idyllic picture scroll. In front of people's eyes, it exists in the form of a work of art. In 2005, "Danba Tibetan Village" represented by Jiaju Tibetan Village was rated as the first among the "Six Most Beautiful Ancient Rural Towns in China" in the beauty pageant China organized by "Chinese National Geographic".
After arriving at Jiaju Zangzhai Scenic Area, take the Jingjiao bus (ticket 35 yuan) and go up the mountain road for 7 kilometers to the No. 3 viewing point. The highest point of Jiaju Zangzhai is about 2300 meters above sea level. After getting off the bus, enjoy the unique Tibetan scenery along the way , and then from the No. 1 Observation Deck, take the Jingjiao Bus to the Visitor Center.
Patchwork Beautiful Tibetan Village
Jiaju First Village Committee
The distant view of Jiaju Tibetan Village
Unique Tibetan Architecture
towering watchtower
Visitor Center of Jiaju Tibetan Village Scenic Area
After coming out of Jiaju Tibetan Village, according to the epidemic prevention regulations of Sichuan Province (two inspections every three days), I went to Danba County Hospital for a second nucleic acid test at 2 p.m. and then drove to Yala Snow Mountain.
The outpatient building of Danba County People's Hospital, where we did the second nucleic acid test after entering Sichuan
5. From Yala Snow Mountain to Moshi Park, live in Muya Village at night
The road conditions from Danba County to Yala Snow Mountain are good, but there are roads in some places, and there is a slight traffic jam. It was already 5 pm when we arrived at the Yala Snow Mountain viewing platform (3,500 meters above sea level). Overlooking the Yala Snow Mountain at an altitude of 5,820 meters from the viewing platform, we left at 5:30 pm.
Scenery on the way to Yala Snow Mountain
Encountered road construction on the way, delayed for about half an hour
Yala Snow Mountain, known in Tibetan as "Xiaxue Yala Gabo" (meaning Oriental White Yak Mountain), is one of the four sacred mountains in Tibetan areas of China. Located at the junction of Kangding, Daofu and Danba counties in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan, it is 5,884 meters above sea level, facing the Moerduo Mountain in the northwest. The top of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round. It is a famous sacred mountain in the Kangba area, where the Yala River originated.
Yala Snow Mountain, also known as "Lotus Jade Buddha," is located in the Qianerlongba River Basin. It is the second peak of the Daxue Mountain Range. The top of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round and shrouded in clouds and mists. It is a sacred mountain worshiped by Tibetans in the Kham area.
The Yala Snow Mountain is photographed from different angles. The building in the lower part of this picture is the visitor center of the Yala Snow Mountain Scenic Area
The scenery around Yala Snow Mountain Observation Deck
A photographer in Chongqing is shooting the panorama of Yala Snow Mountain
Hurry up and rush to Moshi Park at 6:00 p.m. Unfortunately, because the time is too late, the park has already left work. In desperation, I could only walk around outside the park and look at the surrounding scenery. Some members of the group moved from the small road to the inner area of the park, and they were very lucky. I'm not bad either. I was lucky enough to take a group of photos of Tibetan herdsmen's work and family life, which can be regarded as something rewarding.
The surrounding scenery of Moshi Park, the exposed brown rocks of the mountains are the same color and shape as the rocks in the park. The interior of the park is nothing more than a large number, forming a scale, which looks more spectacular.
Exterior view of Moshi Park Visitor Center
Hardworking Tibetan woman and her daughter
According to the itinerary plan, I will live in Kangding City on the evening of the 4th, which is more than 80 kilometers away from Moshi Park. I will drive at 8:20 in the evening and arrive at Muya Village, Jiagenba Town, Kangding City in more than two hours. home inn. On the morning of the 5th, I had a Tibetan-style breakfast, drank two bowls of buttered tea, and ate a few pieces of highland barley cake. I felt that I could still adapt.
Distinctive Butter Teapot
According to the itinerary plan, two teams will act separately on August 5th. One team will go to Gongga Snow Mountain, mainly for outdoor hiking, and the other team will go to Daocheng Yading, mainly for sightseeing. After three days, they will gather and then proceed to the follow-up itinerary. I am Go to Daocheng Yading.
At 7 o'clock in the morning on the 5th, the bus will send off the group members who are going to Gongga Snow Mountain, and return at 12 o'clock noon to take us to Daocheng. Taking advantage of the free time in the morning, I went around the village. I generally feel that the life of the Tibetan compatriots is very prosperous now. Every family has a big yard, and the two- to three-story Tibetan-style houses are very distinctive.
Street View of Muya Village
By August, the highland barley on the plateau is about to ripen, and the yellow fields are growing gratifyingly. This year must be a bumper harvest year!
The biggest gain in the morning was that I had a lively interaction with the Tibetan old man and old woman at the pagoda in the village. From the cautiousness at the beginning to the lively conversation later, they also invited me to rotate the prayer wheel with them, and I offered to take pictures of them , they all readily agreed, and when I showed him (her) the photo from the camera screen, he (she) laughed happily.
Buddhist pagoda in Muya village
6. Drive on the 318 landscape avenue of the Sichuan-Tibet line, pass the 18th bend of the mountain road, and Nimagong Mountain, check in at Litang, the world's highest city, and stay overnight in Daocheng County
At 12:30 noon on the 5th, we set off from Muya Village. The destination of the day was Daocheng, which was about 400 kilometers away. Driving on the Yajiang section of the 318 National Highway Scenic Line of the Sichuan-Tibet Line, although the mountain road is rugged, the road condition is very good, and there is no traffic jam on the 318 National Highway that I heard about some time ago. On the day, we will pass through the Eighteenth Bend of Tianlu, Nimagong Mountain, and Litang, the highest city in the world, which is very exciting!
Rugged mountain road in the Yajiang section of National Highway 318
Motorcycle riders riding motorcycles into Tibet are really admirable! Along the way, I saw some warriors riding motorcycles and even riding sports cars into Tibet. Their spirit is indeed commendable! Challenge yourself, people should always have a little spirit!
We are going into Tibet along the 318 National Highway. The road is basically uphill, the mountain road is rugged, and the mountain road is curved. The first viewing platform at the 18th bend section of the mountain road is 3990 meters above sea level. We stop here to view the scenery. My feeling is that although there are many curves, but limited by the location and terrain, the field of vision is not wide, and I feel that the curves are not amazing. When the bus continued to go up, we saw that there were still two viewing platforms, and the location was relatively better, but we were a big car, so we couldn't stop, and we just passed by. The following road sections are still uphill, and they are all driven on plateau roads of more than 4,000 meters.
The pictures above are all the scenes of the 18th bend of the mountain road taken from different positions and angles at the viewing platform
The above two pictures are the mountain peaks next to the 4,000-meter-high plateau road taken with a mobile phone on a driving bus
As mentioned earlier, after entering Litang County, National Highway 318 is basically built on the top of mountains with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, stretching into the distance like a giant dragon, which is spectacular!
Nimagong Mountain is the first sacred mountain from western Sichuan to eastern Tibet. Its viewing platform is 4668 meters above sea level. Standing on the viewing platform and looking into the distance, the mountains are majestic, the auspicious clouds are churning, the prayer flags are flying, and the majestic atmosphere makes people feel complacent. Generate a sense of pride! The Chinese nation will always stand among the nations of the world! The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will surely come true!
By the way, let me tell my friends a little secret: on the plateau at an altitude of 4668 meters, I basically have no discomfort. And in the case of fully assessing the risks, I took off three times in a row, leaving a figure of rising at an altitude of 4,668 meters, and my colleagues and friends left me with precious memories.
View the majestic mountains from the Observation Deck of Mount Nimagun
Nymagon Mountain Prospect
(No. 5) Arrive at the East Gate of Litang at around 7:30 in the evening. This is a popular check-in place for Internet celebrities. Any netizen who enters or exits Sichuan and Tibet from National Highway 318 must check in here. We are no exception. Stop immediately after arriving Check in.
Litang County is a world-renowned high city. The altitude of the county seat is about 4,000 meters, and the altitude of the east gate is about 4,100 meters.
At the east gate of Litang, I met an old couple from Nanchong, Sichuan. The man is 80 years old and the woman is 71 years old. Accompanied by their children, they went on a self-driving tour in Sichuan and Tibet, which is very admirable! I invite the old couple to take a group photo with me and wish them a long and healthy life! Safe and successful completion of this Sichuan-Tibet self-driving tour! I also danced here a few times and felt very relaxed.
Tall and mighty Litang East Gate
Scenery around Litang East Gate
Leaving the east gate of Litang, continue on to Daocheng. At 11 o'clock in the evening, when we arrived in Daocheng County, an unexpected light rain greeted our arrival. It was already past one o'clock in the morning after we checked in at the hotel. Perhaps there is still a process of adaptation to the plateau. There is no discomfort when I am active during the day, but I still feel uneasy when I sleep. I have always been disturbed by some inexplicable dreams these days after falling asleep for half a minute. , continue to adapt.
Daocheng County is located in the southwestern edge of Sichuan Province, China, in the south of Ganzi Prefecture. It is located in the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, on the east side of the Hengduan Mountains. Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Kham Tibetan area.
At night in Daocheng, an unexpected light rain greeted us and washed us away. It indicates that our trip to Daocheng Yading and the second half of the itinerary will still be very smooth!
The first half of this travel note has been finished, so stay tuned for the second half! thank you all!
(Note: The pictures with words in the lower part of this travel note are mobile phone pictures, and the pictures without words are camera pictures. Please forgive me for any inconvenience caused to friends! Thank you friends!)
2022.08.31.
